Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad is flavorful, colorful, and easy to prepare! While its multiple textures and tastes delight your senses, a flood of nutrients satisfies your body. And it’s a complete protein, to boot!
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad
You Complete (Protein) Me
Why should you care if your food forms a complete protein? Glad you asked! One of the most common concerns people have about eating a plant-based diet is how to get enough protein. Many people are not aware that vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, etc. are great sources of protein.
A complete protein is made up of 20 amino acids (recently though, scientists are saying they have discovered a 21st). The amino acid profile (which specific amino acids are in that food) differs from food to food, but the important part is that we get a good balance of them all so that the body’s cells can re-use them to make new complete proteins.
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad – Ingredients
What Are Essential Amino Acids?
Nine of the 20 amino acids are called essential amino acids. This means that they are necessary to form a complete protein but they cannot be manufactured by the body, so you must get them from the food you eat. Meat, for example, is a complete protein (meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids), but so are quinoa, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds, to name a few.
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad – Ingredients Diced
Some foods are sources of protein but lack all 9 essential amino acids, so they are not a complete protein. Most dietitians say that a reasonable goal is to eat complementary proteins over the course of a 24-hour period. For example, legumes combined with a grain like corn or rice form a complete usable protein for the body because they work together as a team and each provide the essential amino acids that the other is lacking.
Totally cool, right?! You can get some of your daily complete protein requirement just by eating this salad. Wait, come on, was that drool? Were you sleeping? This is exciting stuff!
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad – Ingredients Combined in Bowl
A Year-round Colorful Delight
Another perk to this salad is how easy you can find the ingredients in your market during the colder months when a plentiful variety of fresh produce is not readily available.
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad – Ingredients Combined in Bowl
So the deal is this: Nutritionally speaking this salad could be a one-stop-shop for dinner. But because it has both sweet and spicy components, it would also be a great accompaniment to a large variety of meals. Throw it together in 20 minutes and you are good to go!
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad
Confession time! I was snackin’ on the salad while I was writing this post. Let’s just say, I have eaten it . . . many days in row. I pushed it to the back of the refrigerator where no one could find it — is that bad? Enjoy!!
If you are looking for other great salad ideas, check out my Plant Protein Power Salad and Chickpea “Chicken” Salad!
Sweet and Spicy Corn and Bean Salad is flavorful, colorful, and easy to prepare! Its multiple textures and tastes are a delight to the senses as the flood of nutrients satisfy the body. And it's a complete protein to boot!
Ingredients
- 1 can 15.5 oz. black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 can 15.5 oz. black-eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
- 1 can 15 oz.. or frozen whole kernel sweet corn (if canned be sure it does not contain sugar)
- 1/2 large red bell pepper diced (or 1/2 cup rounded)
- 1/2 large green bell pepper diced (or 1/2 cup rounded)
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion diced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons coconut nectar (doesn't taste like coconut)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (walnut or grapeseed oil may be substituted)
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne ground pepper (more if you prefer it spicier)
- 1/2 teaspoon rounded finely ground sea salt (more if you prefer it saltier)
Instructions
- 1) Rinse and drain black beans, black-eyed peas, and corn if not using frozen. Shake well to remove all excess moisture and set aside to dry. If you really want to be a purist you can spread them out on a tea towel to absorb the extra moisture.
- 2) Dice red pepper, green pepper, celery, onion, and parsley. Set aside.
- 3) In a small bowl, whisk together coconut nectar and apple cider vinegar. Then add oil, cayenne, and salt, one at a time, whisking after each ingredient.
- 4) In a large bowl, gently mix with a spoon to combine black beans, black-eyed peas and corn. Add all of the chopped veggies and parsley and gently combine. Drizzle dressing mixture over salad and mix thoroughly but gently so as not to mash the beans. May be served immediately or refrigerated for later. Store in an air-tight container and it's delicious and crunchy on the second day as well!
Is there any sub for coconut nectar?
Hi Susan, I have not tried it, but I think maple syrup work well also. 🙂